Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 2.02.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

The information in this Item 2.02 and the disclosure incorporated by reference in Item 7.01 with respect to Exhibit 99.1 attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K are being furnished by Ellington Financial LLC (the "Company") pursuant to Item 7.01 of Form 8-K in satisfaction of the public disclosure requirements of Regulation FD and Item 2.02 of Form 8-K, insofar as they disclose historical information regarding the Company's results of operations or financial condition for the quarter ended September 30, 2018.

On November 7, 2018, the Company issued a press release announcing its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

In accordance with General Instructions B.2 and B.6 of Form 8-K, the information included in Item 2.02 and the disclosure incorporated by reference in Item 7.01 shall not be deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing made by the Company under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 7.01.

Regulation FD Disclosure.

The disclosure contained in Items 2.02 is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being furnished herewith this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Book value per share as of September 30, 2018 of $19.37 on a diluted basis, after payment of a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, as compared to book value per share of $19.57 on a diluted basis as of June 30, 2018.

•

Credit strategy gross income of $11.0 million for the quarter, or $0.36 per share.

•

Agency strategy gross income of $0.7 million for the quarter, or $0.02 per share.

•

Net investment income of $11.7 million for the quarter, or $0.38 per share; Adjusted net investment income2 of $12.5 million for the quarter, or $0.40 per share.

•

Announced a dividend of $0.41 per share for the third quarter of 2018, equating to an annualized dividend yield of 10.6% based on the November 6, 2018 closing price of $15.43 per share; dividends are paid quarterly in arrears.

•

Debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04:13 as of September 30, 2018.

Third Quarter 2018 Results

The Company's results in the third quarter reflected the continued growth of its credit portfolio, which increased 15% sequentially and drove net investment income of $0.38 per share and adjusted net investment income of $0.40 per share.

"Most significantly for the quarter, we were able to maintain the strong growth of our credit portfolio and our net investment income," said Laurence Penn, Chief Executive Officer and President. "Our third quarter adjusted net investment income of $0.40 per share essentially covered our $0.41 dividend, and we still have room to grow the credit portfolio. In addition, we had excellent performance in several of our credit strategies, including small balance commercial mortgage loans, where strong origination volume and favorable loan resolutions helped generate a high return on equity this quarter. In our CLO strategies, our first CLO was reset with improved pricing and structure, and we have begun accumulating assets for a potential fourth CLO. Our CMBS portfolio also contributed significantly to our third quarter results.

"We believe that our robust growth demonstrates the strength of our origination and sourcing capabilities, as well as the benefits of a diversified portfolio. Our larger portfolio this quarter reflects the continued growth of our non-QM loan strategy, where we have reached critical mass for a second securitization. We have also begun to originate and acquire residential bridge loans, a business where we see the potential for very attractive risk-adjusted returns on equity.

"Finally, our emphasis on hedging interest rates and certain credit risks in our portfolio, along with a commitment to maintaining moderate leverage and a strong balance sheet, should continue to provide significant protection to book value, particularly as interest rates rise and volatility returns to the market."

Corporate Structure Update

The Company continues to evaluate potential changes to its tax status. Although it has not completed its analysis or made any final decision, the Company currently expects, barring any unforeseen impediments, to convert from a publicly traded partnership to a REIT in the first half of 2019. In connection with such a conversion, the Company would expect to take several steps to help qualify as a REIT, including selling certain non-real-estate-related assets, and moving other non-real-estate-related assets into taxable REIT subsidiaries. A REIT conversion would also be facilitated by exchanging a portion of the Company's existing public senior unsecured notes for private notes issued by one or more of its taxable subsidiaries.

1 Increase (decrease) in shareholders' equity from operations, or "net income (loss)."

2 Adjusted net investment income is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Investment Income to Net Income" below for an explanation regarding the calculation of Adjusted net investment income.

3 Excludes repo borrowings on U.S. Treasury securities.

1

Financial Results

The Company's total long Credit portfolio4 was $1.289 billion as of September 30, 2018, which was an increase of approximately 15% from $1.123 billion as of June 30, 2018. As of September 30, 2018, the Company's long Agency RMBS portfolio decreased approximately (0.4)% to $944.4 million, from $948.5 million as of June 30, 2018. With the increased size of its portfolio, the Company's debt-to-equity ratio3 increased to 3.04:1 as of September 30, 2018, up from 2.77:1 as of June 30, 2018.

During the third quarter, the Company's Credit strategy generated total gross income of $11.0 million, or $0.36 per share, and its Agency strategy generated gross income of $0.7 million, or $0.02 per share.

The Company's Credit portfolio continued to be the primary driver of its earnings. During the third quarter, the Company's Credit strategy generated net interest income5 of 17.7 million, net realized and change in net unrealized losses of $(41) thousand, net gain from interest rate hedges of $468 thousand, and other investment related expenses of $3.9 million. The Company benefited from strong performance in several of its loan-related strategies, including small balance commercial mortgage loans, consumer loans, and U.S. non-performing loans. Among the Company's securities strategies, non-Agency RMBS, U.S. CMBS, and investments in Ellington-sponsored CLOs performed well. Also during the quarter, credit hedges reduced profitability in many of the Company's credit strategies, and net credit hedges and other activities generated a loss of $(3.3) million, reversing the gains in this category from the first two quarters of the year.

Interest rates rose and Agency RMBS prices declined again during the quarter, which led to net realized and unrealized losses on the Company's Agency portfolio of $(7.6) million. However, these losses were more than offset by net interest income6 from the Agency portfolio of $2.8 million and gains on the Company's interest rate hedges and other activities of $5.5 million.

4Excludes hedges, other derivative, and corporate relative value trading positions. Also excludes tranches of the Company's consolidated non-QM securitization trust that were sold to third parties. Including such tranches, the Company's total long Credit portfolio was $1.379 billion as of September 30, 2018 as compared to $1.224 billion as of June 30, 2018.

5Excludes any interest income and interest expense items from Net interest rate hedges and Net credit hedges and other activities.

6Excludes any interest income and interest expense items from Net interest rate hedges and other activities.

2

The following table summarizes the Company's investment portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2018 and June 30, 2018:

September 30, 2018

June 30, 2018

(In thousands)

Fair Value

Cost

Fair Value

Cost

Long:

Credit:

Dollar Denominated:

CLO(1)

$

156,087

$

160,561

$

210,935

$

216,236

CMBS

14,923

13,995

16,927

16,890

Commercial Mortgage Loans and REO(2)

160,515

158,159

139,546

137,846

Consumer Loans and ABS Backed by Consumer Loans(1)

209,848

218,183

196,584

205,243

Corporate Debt and Equity

44,559

43,250

71,422

68,878

Debt and Equity Investment in Mortgage-Related Entities

30,171

25,314

30,823

25,314

Non-Agency RMBS

180,223

168,399

156,834

144,760

Residential Mortgage Loans and REO

393,846

392,634

294,366

292,994

Non-Dollar Denominated:

CLO

—

—

4,670

4,788

CMBS

16,250

16,774

16,309

16,468

Consumer Loans and ABS Backed by Consumer Loans

919

825

8,723

899

Corporate Debt and Equity

11,400

12,165

11,911

12,576

RMBS(3)

199,108

200,416

130,395

128,620

Agency:

Fixed-Rate Specified Pools

850,453

877,590

853,120

874,862

Floating-Rate Specified Pools

5,539

5,684

6,155

6,304

IOs

33,050

34,134

32,899

33,630

Reverse Mortgage Pools

55,396

57,552

56,371

58,104

TBAs

303,552

304,331

317,013

316,530

Government:

Dollar Denominated

4,230

4,257

70,468

70,467

Total Long

2,670,069

2,694,223

2,625,471

2,631,409

Repurchase Agreements

Dollar Denominated

140,352

140,352

194,230

194,229

Non-Dollar Denominated

20,070

20,116

20,181

20,117

Total Repurchase Agreements

160,422

160,468

214,411

214,346

Short:

Credit:

Dollar Denominated:

Corporate Debt and Equity

(60,809

)

(60,965

)

(84,395

)

(85,280

)

Agency:

TBAs

(562,098

)

(564,232

)

(618,665

)

(616,872

)

Government:

Dollar Denominated

(52,809

)

(52,884

)

(159,220

)

(159,005

)

Non-Dollar Denominated

(19,633

)

(19,605

)

(19,866

)

(19,668

)

Total Short

(695,349

)

(697,686

)

(882,146

)

(880,825

)

Net Total

$

2,135,142

$

2,157,005

$

1,957,736

$

1,964,930

(1)

Includes equity investment in a securitization-related vehicle.

(2)

Includes equity investment in a limited liability company holding small balance commercial mortgage loans.

(3)

Includes RMBS secured by non-performing loans and REO, and an investment in an entity holding a securitization call right.

3

The following table summarizes the Company's operating results for the quarters ended September 30, 2018 and June 30, 2018 and the nine-month period ended September 30, 2018:

Includes equity and other relative value trading strategies and related hedges.

(3)

Includes interest expense on the Company's Senior Notes.

(4)

Per share information is calculated using weighted average shares and LTIP units outstanding. Percentage of average equity is calculated using average shareholders' equity, which excludes non-controlling interests.

The Company will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 8, 2018, to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. To participate in the event by telephone, please dial (877) 241-1233 at least 10 minutes prior to the start time and reference the conference passcode 3595166. International callers should dial (810) 740-4657 and reference the same passcode. The conference call will also be webcast live over the Internet and can be accessed via the "For Our Shareholders" section of the Company's web site at www.ellingtonfinancial.com. To listen to the live webcast, please visit www.ellingtonfinancial.com at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download, and install necessary audio software. In connection with the release of these financial results, the Company also posted an investor presentation, that will accompany the conference call, on its website at www.ellingtonfinancial.com under "For Our Shareholders—Presentations."

A dial-in replay of the conference call will be available on Thursday, November 8, 2018, at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern Time through Thursday, November 22, 2018 at approximately 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. To access this replay, please dial (800) 585-8367 and enter the passcode 3595166. International callers should dial (404) 537-3406 and enter the same passcode. A replay of the conference call will also be archived on the Company's web site at www.ellingtonfinancial.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from the Company's beliefs, expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "would," "could," "goal," "objective," "will," "may," "seek," or similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans, or intentions. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include without limitation management's beliefs regarding the current economic and investment environment and the Company's ability to implement its investment and hedging strategies, performance of the Company's investment and hedging strategies, the Company's exposure to prepayment risk in its Agency portfolio, estimated effects on the fair value of the Company's holdings of a hypothetical change in interest rates, statements regarding the drivers of the Company's returns, the Company's expected ongoing annualized expense ratio, statements regarding potential changes to the Company's corporate structure, and statements regarding the Company's intended dividend policy including the amount to be recommended by management, and the Company's share repurchase program. The Company's results can fluctuate from month to month and from quarter to quarter depending on a variety of factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and/or are difficult to predict, including, without limitation, changes in interest rates and the market value of the Company's securities, changes in mortgage default rates and prepayment rates, the Company's ability to borrow to finance its assets, changes in government regulations affecting the Company's business, the Company's ability to maintain its exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and other changes in market conditions and economic trends. Furthermore, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described under Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 15, 2018 which can be accessed through the Company's website at www.ellingtonfinancial.com or at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Other risks, uncertainties, and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied may be described from time to time in reports the Company's files with the SEC, including reports on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Based on total equity excluding non-controlling interests not represented by instruments convertible into common shares.

7

Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Investment Income to Net Investment Income

The table below reconciles Adjusted net investment income for the three-month period ended September 30, 2018 to the line, Net investment income, on the Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations, which the Company believes is the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. Adjusted net investment income includes net realized and change in net unrealized gains (losses) from certain of the Company's equity investments in partnerships and net periodic (payments) receipts on various interest rate swaps, and excludes incentive fee, deal expenses, and the Catch-Up Premium Amortization Adjustment. The Catch-up Premium Amortization Adjustment is a quarterly adjustment to premium amortization triggered by changes in actual and projected prepayments on the Company's Agency RMBS (accompanied by a corresponding offsetting adjustment to realized and unrealized gains and losses). The adjustment is calculated as of the beginning of each quarter based on the Company's then assumptions about cashflows and prepayments, and can vary significantly from quarter to quarter.

The Company believes that Adjusted net investment income provides information useful to investors because it is one of the metrics that it uses to assess its performance and to evaluate the effective net yield provided by the Company's portfolio. However, because Adjusted net investment income is an incomplete measure of the Company's financial results and differs from Net investment income computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP, it should be considered as supplementary to, and not as a substitute for, Net investment income computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP.